It is not at all unusual for a lens and/or an ear stem of protective eyewear to break during industrial use. Such occurrences of breakage generally require that a user discard the entire eyewear and replace it with a new pair.
The industry also lacks a protective eyewear selection that can comfortably accommodate different sizes. This lack of comfort and adjustability is particularly felt when workers must wear such protective eyewear during long hours of industrial work. There is therefore a need in the art for eyewear that solves the problems attendant to breakage of the eyewear. At the same time, there is a need for eyewear that provides comfort to the wearer during hours of industrial use.
The presently described eyewear overcomes and alleviates the above-described and other disadvantages of the prior art by providing a protective eyewear assembly which is adapted to be both comfortably worn and adjusted to fit different users. The presently described eyewear also overcomes and alleviates the above-described and other disadvantages of the prior art by providing eyewear for industrial use whose components can be easily mounted and/or dismounted in the event of any of its components being damaged.
The present eyewear therefore relates to a protective eyewear assembly comprising a frame having right and left portions defining respective right and left apertures and a central bridging portion, and a protective lens piece adapted to be mounted to the lens piece between the upper and lower edges of the frame. The lower edge of the frame has a retaining wall for retaining the lens therein while the upper edges of the frame and the lens piece have cooperating portions to secure the lens to the frame. The frame may be made of flexible plastic material to enable a snap-in engagement and a snap-out disengagement of the lens to and from the frame.
In one embodiment, the eyewear further comprises a pair of ear stems respectively mounted at an upper edge extremity of the right and left portions to pivot between an inwardly folded position and an outwardly ear contacting position.
In another embodiment, the protective lens piece comprises a transparent plastic material defining a unitary arcuate body. The lens piece is adapted to be mounted to and rearwardly of the frame between the upper edge extremities of the frame. The lens piece includes a pair of right and left sight regions and a central bridging region. The right and left sight regions and the bridge region include an upper edge adapted to be received beneath the upper edge surface of the right and left portions and the central bridging portion, and a lower edge adapted to be supported on the lower edge lens supporting surface of the right and left portions and the bridging portion of the frame.
In another exemplary embodiment, the lower edge lens supporting surface includes means to retain the lens when mounted to the frame and wherein the upper edge surface of the right and left portions of the frame and the upper edge of the right and left regions of the lens include cooperating means to secure the lens to the frame.
In another exemplary embodiment, a flexible plastic material of the frame enables a snap-in engagement and a snap-out disengagement of the securing means to and from one another.
In another exemplary embodiment, the cooperating means comprises a slot means on the upper surface of the right and left portions of the frame and of projection means on the upper edge of the right and left regions of the lens.
In another exemplary embodiment, the retaining means comprises a rib means extending along an outer edge of a portion of the lower edge supporting surface of the right and left portions of the frame.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description, while indicating preferred embodiments of this invention, is given by way of illustration only since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.